SUICIDE MISSION GOES SOUR
A would-be suicide bomber, Abubakar Sadiq Umar, arrested in Damaturu, Yobe State, yesterday.
The Defence Headquarters and the police in Yobe yesterday said an attack by a suicide bomber in a pickup vehicle laden with explosives was foiled by security forces yesterday morning in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade said, “The target of the attack was ‘A’ Division of the Police Command located by the main round-about in the heart of the town.”
“The attempt was however foiled as the culprit was arrested by police personnel on duty. A total of six already constructed turbine containers loaded with explosives as well as 20 liters of petrol and 11 bags of beans chaff have been recovered from the scene,” General Olukolade added.
“The recovered materials are in the custody of the Joint Taskforce Headquarters in Damaturu. The police anti-bomb squad has safely detonated the explosive,” the Defence statement said.
Daily Trust gathered that the suspect drove in through Damaturu central roundabout in a blue pick-up loaded with explosives and attempted the police station but was forced to stop with warning gunshots.
The A Division Police Station is one of the few surviving police stations after series of attacks that left several security formations damaged.
The Yobe State Police Commissioner, Sanusi A Rufa’I, gave the name of the attempted bomber as Abubakar Sadiq Umar, a 19 year-old indigene of Goniri, a village less than 60 kilometers from Damaturu.
The commissioner said policemen manning the Division noticed his suspicious movement and fired warning gunshots which forced him to stop, leading to his arrest.
“He tried to abandon the car and escape but was apprehended by the police. He is currently under interrogation”, he said.
He added that the car was searched and was discovered to be carrying five constructed cylinders loaded with explosives, 20 liters of AGO diesel, 10 liters of petrol, one fire extinguisher containing explosives, five units of 9.5 batteries and a wall clock.
Damaturu was tense yesterday as movement was restricted, businesses shut down and security checks intensified everywhere after the arrest.